The Prisoner and The Princess - a Lokane Fanfic
by Metal-Unicorn
Summary: Set in Thor 2. Jane pays Loki a visit, and eventually falls in love with him.
1. Chapter 1

The Prisoner and the Princess

Jane looked through the magic wall at the man in the luxurious cell. There was a part of her that wanted to hit him and yell at him, and yet another part of her wanted to hug him and tell him it would be OK. He looked so fragile, so broken, his raven hair dishevelled and tangled. She knew he had an illusion up even now, but she could see clearly through it. Every once in a while her eyes would flick between the real him, the broken and battered one, and the illusion, the mocking, dangerous man. "You aren't a monster, you know. Monsters don't hate themselves for what they've done." She said softly, her quiet voice barely above a whisper. Loki looked shocked, and his illusion fell altogether. Jane could see the cell much clearer now, now the illusion had faded. Furniture was strewn about, the once luxurious cell becoming a glorified hell. She could see the injuries on his body, the loneliness in his eyes. And she could see the pain. It hurt her, to see someone in such a state. Loki smiled mischievously. "Why have you come here?" he asked with an attempt of an amused tone. Everything about him seemed exhausted. "I'm not sure," Jane admitted. She waited a while before viciously adding, "I suppose I wanted to meet the man who screwed up my life and tried to kill the one I love." Jane winced at the harshness of her own words. She didn't mean for them to sound as cruel as they had. Loki's smile widened. "Okay, now I really do want to hit you," she muttered quietly to herself so he wouldn't hear her. He was starting to really get on her nerves. Loki stood up, and walked cautiously to the front of the cell, where Jane stood. Now all that separated them was the magical barrier. "Does my dearest brother know you've come?" He asked with a twinge of sarcasm. Jane shook her head. "No." she confirmed. "Well, I'm honoured," he said with a smirk. Jane was uncertain of herself. Now that Loki had come so close to her, she could see flecks of fear and anger in his eyes, blazing brighter than any fire. Jane wasn't sure if she hated or pitied him. Really, though, a part of her feared him. She knew who this man was, what he was capable of. She knew he was dangerous, and that she should stay away. Yet a tiny part of her was drawn to him, compelled by him. Her scientific mind was fascinated by him. "So to what do I owe this honour?" he asked, his smile still playing on his lips. "I… don't know," she replied quietly and uncertainly, moving slowly backwards as she said so. One more step and she would be out of there. She turned her back to Loki and ran. He was still smirking.

Jane was out of breath when she reached her beautiful room in the palace. She wasn't sure why she had run. She wasn't even sure why she visited Loki in the first place. She knew Thor would be furious if he found out, but she didn't care. He could shove it up his ass. The broken expression on Loki's face still pricked in her memory, making Jane even more determined to visit him again. Even if she knew it was wrong, she wanted to help him. The only challenge was to make sure Thor never found out. There was a knock at the door and Thor entered. "Jane, are you ok? You look exhausted," he commented, carefully observing her face. "No, no, I'm fine." Jane lied, adding a small smile for good measre. She took in Thor's appearance – nothing much was different from a year ago when they had first met. So much had happened since then. Heck, she was in Asgard! He was in Asgardian clothes, obviously, as they were in Asgard. His long blond hair had grown a bit, and his eyes had turned the colour of ash. The battle of Manhattan took a great toll on him, and she knew he was greatly concerned for his adopted brother. She wanted to tell him about her visit to Loki, but she knew she couldn't. It hurt her to keep such a big secret from him. "Jane, you look distressed," Thor noticed. His words brought Jane out of her stupor. "Wha- What? No don't be ridiculous," she laughed nervously, "I need to go for a REALLY long walk." She made her way to the door. Thor grabbed her arm gently. "Jane, wait. Perhaps I can accompany you," he suggested. Jane just shook his arm off and kept walking. "No, that's ok. I need to walk alone." She walked quickly forward, leaving Thor behind, confused and a little upset.


	2. Chapter 2

**Loki**

Loki had been thinking when the peculiar mortal came in. He had made sure to carefully illusion his destruction, but somehow she had seen straight through it. That made him slightly curious. He hoped she would come back. She had left so quickly he was almost disappointed. Loki glanced around his once luxurious cell. The proof of his brokenness was strewn around him, and in the lonely green of his eyes. He didn't know how the human had seen through his illusion – no Asgardian ever could. He knew that his brother could be a problem if he ever found out, but that was hardly anything a few tricks couldn't sort out. Thor had always fallen for his illusions. He found himself wondering how the mortal woman had ever fallen in love with such a stupid oaf, though he did not know what brought that thought. Probably boredom. He was always bored, always frustrated, and being stuck in this tiny cage didn't help. He stood in front of the magical wall and bashed it once with his fists, collapsing to the ground. The barrier flickered slightly, but did not fall. Loki groaned in frustration. He was utterly defeated.

Jane walked through the impressively built palace. She was still having a difficult time adjusting to such a beautiful environment. Earth was nothing in comparison with this. The gold of the arches was brilliant, brighter than any gold she had ever seen. Parts of it was inlaid with precious gems – sapphires, emeralds, rubies and even diamonds. She walked until she got to a little alcove, a balcony that was hidden away against the finery and gold. The little balcony was high up above the city, so she could see all of Asgard, in all its brilliance. As she looked upon it from above, she could see the true beauty of Asgard. Spires rose up towards the sky, golden, silver and bronze all merging together, strong, sharp and stiff. The blue of the sky was reflected in the small ponds that are spread around the city, clear as the glass of a mirror. At night time, lights of blue and red and white light up the city and the ponds are filled with the light of the stars, as if they had fallen from the sky and into the silvery water. At the edge of the city, there is ocean, above which is the Asbru bridge leading to the Bifrost. Jane sighed as she took in the evening view. The sun dipped lazily in the sky, as if uncertain whether it should rest or not. Jane used this time to reflect on what had happened that afternoon. She had known the moment she saw Loki on the news during the battle of Manhattan that she hated him, but now she wasn't so sure. She closed her eyes ad an image of him formed in her mind. This image was of before he had been sent to that prison to rot. This was when he was certain of himself, when his jet-black hair was slicked neatly back. This image did not stay long though. Now, she saw him broken and uncertain, and lonely. As hard as she tried, the image of him bloody and broken stayed fixed firmly in her mind. Tears pricked at her eyes as she imagined the pain he must be going through. She simply could not bring herself to believe what everyone else believed – that he was a monster. Even though he destroyed half of Puente Antiguo, her home, when he sent the destroyer, and then killed thousands in Manhattan, she could no longer bring herself to hate him. She had to consider all sides of an argument before she made a rationalized decision. Her friend and mentor, Erik Selvig had taught her that. Then, the red velvet curtain hiding the little alcove swished aside, and Jane turned around as a familiar bulky figure blocked her sight. Thor moved forward, so that they were close enough for her to feel his heartbeat. "I know what's wrong," his deep voice murmured, as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You- you do?" Jane asked nervously.  
"You miss Earth. You are homesick," Thor replied certainly. Relief surged through Jane.  
"Oh. Ah, yeah. Homesick. Right," she mumbled, "but I'll live. I've got you." Thor smiled warmly. _How different he is from his brother, _Jane thought. Thor leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. Jane relaxed into the kiss, the world around her dissipating, all her worries gone. It was pleasant and comforting, and let her know that she had someone to count on. She lingered for a moment longer before pulling away suddenly. Thor looked a little hurt, but he recovered quickly enough. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said, gesturing towards the city. The sun was almost set, with only a sliver of light that remained. The city lights had turned on and shone radiantly through the bright cityscape. Jane didn't reply. All she could manage was a soft, "Yeah," as she was overwhelmed once again by the beauty of Asgard. A silence stole the conversation away, but Jane didn't care. She was perfectly happy staring out at Asgard with Thor. She sighed, letting all the tension out. It was an excellent way to relieve stress. They stayed out on the balcony until the morning came, just staring out at the beautiful city. When the suns first golden rays shone, Jane retired to her room.

She slept until noon, and was woken by Thor. He kissed her softly on the cheek, and she groaned at being woken up. "I have to go to Svartelheim, to restore peace to the people there," he whispered. Jane sat up and hugged him tight.  
"How long will you be gone for?" she asked groggily. Thor smiled reassuringly at her.  
"I intend to return by the end of the week," he replied with great certainty.  
"Ok. Just come back in one piece," was all Jane could manage without her voice betraying her. She kissed him one more time before he left. Of course, there were a thousand questions in her mind, but she forced them into silence. It wouldn't be much good to focus on the unlikely, negative things. She passed hours in the library, poring over textbooks on astrophysics. They had a lot more knowledge in her field, almost ten times more than they had back on Earth. All that knowledge, right there at her disposal. It felt good. But as good as the knowledge felt, Jane was not settled. Her mind kept wondering to Loki, making it impossible to focus. Suddenly she couldn't take it anymore. Abruptly, she stood up and cautiously made her way to the cells. At first, she stuck close to the wall, her face cloaked by silent, still shadows. Loki spotted her instantly. "Don't worry, I don't bite," he joked. Jane took a careful step forward.  
"Maybe, but you did destroy a city."  
"Oh come on, that was one time!" Loki threw his hands up in mock frustration. Jane came closer, until she was standing roughly a metre away from him. "I see you've cleaned up a little," she commented, changing the subject as she looked him up and down.  
"Maybe. Could be an illusion." He said with a mocking tone. Loki then recreated the broken image of him from yesterday, and flicked back and forth between that and his current form.  
"No, you cleaned up. You're trying to trick me now, but I can see that the real you is standing right in front of me, trying to act tough." Jane replied with absolute certainty. Loki was shocked, but quickly regained his composure.  
"You're sure?" he asked, smirking. Jane nodded.  
"Yes." Her tone was definite. Loki dropped the illusion and rolled his eyes. "You're no fun," he complained childishly.  
"I'd hate to see what you call fun," Jane muttered. His smile grew wider, so that he looked not unlike a psychotic clown.  
"Fun is seeing your _dearest _Thor and his father dead at my feet while I reside over the Realm Eternal on the throne, like I was born to do," he proclaimed. Suddenly, Jane couldn't stand him anymore. She didn't care if her fist hit solid wall. She just wanted to punch something. Preferably him. She brought her fist up, and to both of their surprise, punched him right in the face. Loki's head bent to the side and she heard a sickening crunch. Jane looked in astonishment at the hand that was through the magical barrier. She slowly turned it over, before cautiously pulling it out. There was no resistance. Loki was now looking at her with interest. She ignored his interested stare and put her hand through the transparent wall again. She frowned, captivated, and slowly moved her leg to take a slow step forward, then another. Taking just one more step, she found herself directly facing Loki with no barriers separating them. "You do realise you are in an enclosed space with the most dangerous man you will ever meet?" Loki asked with a glint in his eye. It was more of a statement than a question though.  
"Yes, but I know you won't hurt me." Jane replied definitely. Loki raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh? And why are you so certain?"  
"Because you're curious. You want to see if you can use me." Loki had never been more surprised, especially not by a mortal. He tried to hide his surprise behind a wall of amusement. "How do you know I won't just dispose of you once I use you for my own purposes?" he asked in a mocking tone. Jane looked him dead in the eye and said, "Because you're interested. You want to see what makes me so special." Loki's smirk widened.  
"So you're agreeing to help me?" Loki's eyebrows were raised and he regarded her with a quizzical expression.  
"I never said that," Jane replied simply. The truth was, she didn't know if she wanted to help him or not. If she helped him escape, he might try to attack Earth again, but if she didn't do anything, she might never forgive herself. "I'm starting to see what Thor saw in you," Loki said, taking a step toward her. Jane was put slightly off guard, but she stood her ground.  
"Shame, because I'm really not seeing what he saw in you," she countered. Loki put his hands over his chest in mock hurt. "Oh, how you wound me," he mocked. Jane rolled her eyes and smiled, despite herself at Loki's antics. Self-consciously, she shuffled back slightly and looked into his hypnotic eyes. She then noticed what a strange colour they were – like brightly coloured emeralds dipped in amber light. Their eyes stayed connected for a few minutes, before Jane looked away shyly, brushing a strand of brown hair away from her eyes. "I-I have to go," she said lamely, before exiting the cell and walking awkwardly away. She could feel Loki's knowing smirk on her back, and it followed Jane to her room. Somehow, she couldn't shake that feeling off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok, so sorry for the confusion with the paragraphs and stuff, for some reason its not really working properly and won't let me edit it into smaller paragraphs... thank you so much for all the reviews, they're all so helpful! Anyway, I hope you are enjoying it, and here is my new chapter ;)**

* * *

Jane squeezed her eyes closed, attempting to clear her muddied thoughts. She opened them again without success. Something was not right in her mind. Some strange feeling nagged at her and she couldn't quite place what it was. It was like a mosquito that buzzed around her but did not bite, instead biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment.

Jane started to wonder (not for the first time) what had happened between Loki and Thor to make Loki so bitter. His words still stung at her in the back of her head. "_Fun is seeing your dearest Thor and his father dead at my feet while I reside over the Realm Eternal on the throne." _She couldn't fathom why someone would want to kill their own family.

She knew logically that she should be afraid of Loki, but there was something else she felt instead, something she couldn't figure out. She felt sorry for him, but of course she could never vocalise that. She had a feeling that Loki wasn't one to take well to pity.

God, he infuriated her, with that knowing smirk he always wore, and the amused green sparkle his eyes bore, but she could not hate him.

Jane looked out the window and realised it was dark – and most definitely late. She realised she must have been pondering this for maybe hours after she left Loki. She glanced at the antique clock on the wall. It read 12:22AM. Jane lay down on the bed, which was as soft as velvet, and three times as thick, and closed her weary eyes.

However comfortable and tired she was, though, she could not fall into the merciful grasp of sleep. She still had that thought nagging at her, but she couldn't grasp what it was. Shee moaned in frustration. It was something to do with Loki… That was about all she could figure out.

Jane sighed and stood up again. She paced around the room until her feet ached with exhaustion and even then she could not force her overly-tired body to sleep.

In her frustration, she decided to go for a walk outside the silent walls of the palace. As she wandered through the dimly lit Asgardian streets, absorbing all the sounds that came from night's darkness, she stopped and closed her eyes, taking in all that surrounded her.

She only re-opened her eyes when she felt someone's presence behind her. She whirled around and gasped with a mix of surprise and fear. "Loki?" she exclaimed, frowning at the green and gold clad man in front of her. He smirked and flickered slightly. That's when she understood. It had to be magic. But there was one thing in the situation that bothered her.

"How can you use magic this far from the palace?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. Loki strode leisurely towards her, speaking as he walked. "While it may be true that the cell weakens my power, it is easy enough for _me _to perform a simple illusory spell." He stopped walking about a half a metre away from her.

His form flickered again. "How did you know where I am?" she asked, her strong voice quivering slightly. She couldn't help but be acutely aware of the fact that she was in a dark alleyway with perhaps the most dangerous man in the universe, and though he was just an illusion, she knew he was still solid enough to hurt her.

"I simply traced you through your mind," he answered smugly. Jane was shocked. "You were in my MIND?" She cried. Loki took another step towards her. They were now dangerously close. "I can't help but notice that you think about me a lot," he smirked, and even if Jane couldn't see it, she could hear it in his voice.

"Th-that's only because you really irritate me," Jane said defensively as she took a step back and folded her arms in front of her chest self-consciously. Her defiance only seemed to amuse Loki even more. He chuckled softly.

"Cute how you think you can lie to ME, the god of lies," he commented nonchalantly.  
"Oh, so now you know everything?" Jane shot back with venom.

Loki's smile widened even more. "About you, yes." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind Jane's ear. Jane hadn't even realised that he'd taken another step. That's when Jane realised what was going through his mind at that moment.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not interested," she said flatly, before he got the wrong idea.  
"Oh, because you're desperately in love with Thor, the Golden Prince," Loki said, his voice heavily layered with sarcasm and amusement.

"Yes," Jane replied, "I love Thor. We're happy together." But Jane could hear a note of uncertainty in her own voice, something false. Loki didn't miss that. Not a chance.

"Oh really? Are you certain?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.  
"Yes. I love Thor and I always will."

Loki's image flickered as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Jane's. Before she could stop herself, she found herself kissing him back, with more passion than she'd ever kissed anyone, even Thor.

She could taste Loki's smirk, sweet on her lips. She closed her eyes and kissed him even deeper, smiling against his lips. When she opened her eyes, and saw who she was kissing, she immediately pulled away.

"No. No," she murmured, "No, this is wrong. Thor… he would…" She wasn't sure how to finish that sentence. What would Thor do if he found out? Loki was satisfied, and quite amused at her conflicting heart.

"Could it be you do not feel the same anymore?" Loki mused. Jane denied it.  
"No. I love Thor. He is good to me. We are happy together." She said, but her voice was flat. She kept repeating those words over and over in her head, but she found herself not quite believing it.

Sure things were kind of different between her and Thor, but nothing too serious, right? They were just more distant now.

Then she decided on one specific word she associated with Loki – magic. "Is this some sort of spell?" she asked out of curiosity. The question seemed to amuse him. But then again, almost everything did.

"A spell powerful enough to affect one's emotions is currently beyond me, due to my, um, situation." Loki replied matter-of-factly.

"How do I know you aren't lying?" Jane demanded.  
"You don't. You'll just have to trust me." Loki's grin grew devilish. He leaned forward to kiss her again, and this time, Jane did not pull away.


End file.
